In Their Own Words

Perfection and Disharmony is an interpretation of the thought of Jean-Jacques Rousseau and its place in the contemporary debate between liberals and communitarians. Marks argues that Rousseau's thought revolves around the natural perfection of a naturally disharmonious being. The Rousseau who emerges from this interpretation is a radical critic of liberalism who is nonetheless more cautious about protecting individual liberty than his successors. Marks elaborates on the challenge Rousseau poses to liberals and communitarians alike by setting up a dialogue between him and Charles Taylor, one of the most distinguished ethical and political theorists at work today.